Of Life and Death
by Skypeoplephoenix732
Summary: A teenager discovers dragons are, indeed real. Everything she has ever read in books or seen in movies/TV shows is real. This is the story of how she and her new companions lived and died. Rated T for violence, bloody sequences, and mild language.
1. Chapter 1

Six years… six years since the day that changed my life forever. For better or worse is still dangling on the edge of a cliff. Ah, I'm probably boring you, though. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

 **(Line Break)**

 _Tik tak Tik tak_. Blowing a lock of hair from my eyes, I bite my lip, considering my next words carefully. Should she trust the elves so soon? Or should she try to run with her dragon? Ooo, or what if Drecor is now back to hatchling size? Yes, that will build tension. Smiling, I finish the latest chapter of my novel with a flourish of my hand. Maybe I'll actually finish this one. Heck, maybe I'll even finish it before Paolini beats me to his final book in the _Inheritance Cycle_! I grin, setting my computer aside to hop down from my silky bed. Just as my feet hit the floor, I have this sudden urge to look into the backyard. Cocking my head, I plod to the bathroom my sister and I share, peering out the window overlooking our yard as well as several neighbors'.

A shiver runs down my spine, and I squint, unsure of what I just saw. No, it's still there! A tiny shimmer bends in the unusual heat of this November. A barely-there outline shoots out from it before both disappear. Blinking rapidly, I crane my neck out, bumping my head as I try to see where that… thing went. A faint shimmer of an outline zips down the small creek. Snorting softly, I turn away. Great, so now I'm seeing things. Shaking my head, I jog down the stairs to grab lunch.

"Hey, you hungry?" Mom calls out, turning with a pot of creamy spam fettuccini – or in this case, pasta shells – in her hands. I nod eagerly, stomach growling like a bear.

"So hey, did you see something down by the creek a couple minutes ago?" Mom frowns, shaking her head.

"No, why?"

"Hm, nothing I guess. I thought I saw something, but it was probably just a trick of the light."

I try to go back to school work, but that outline keeps nagging at my mind. It looked strangely familiar, but I don't think it was really enough to try and sketch out for a species comparison. Just as I settle at my desk, a movement outside catches my eye. Immediately, all the birds in the Japanese Maple outside my window take off to the south, towards the Smiths' yard. Frowning, I try to look out my window from different angles, but nothing seems to be there. Maybe… maybe they were just hungry? I almost smack myself; it would be too much of a coincidence for _all_ of the birds to become _that_ hungry at the same time.

An image of a thumbs-up pops into my head. Erm, okay… A series of images flies through my mind, some of dragons, others of random books, and too many other things to keep track. Looking wildly around, I push back from the desk, wincing as a headache forms. The images pause, then disappear altogether. Close to hyperventilating, I stare out the window, sensing something out there. Wait, what the... I can _sense_ things now?! A single image floats into my mind from… it. A woman holding a hand against my forehead, a look of concern in her eyes.

I stare at the not-quite-there creature for a moment before it dawns on me. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine," I mumble. Relief trickles into my mind, but it feels like there should be more. Uh, nope! Heck no, I'm not getting involved in this. Spinning on my heel, I rush downstairs a little faster than usual, skidding to a stop at the kitchen counter. Mom looks up in surprise, raising an eyebrow at my flushed expression. "Thought maybe I'd join you this time for lunch. Want to play a round of solitaire after?" She nods, smiling but clearly still a little worried. I _never_ eat lunch downstairs unless it's formal or in front of the TV.

 **(A/N Howdy! This will be unlike anything you have ever read. This story is based on a collection of diary entries and OneNote logs of things that popped into my head. Unique, very original – except where it's creature/happenings from other worlds/universes – and a breathtaking thriller, comedy, and tragedy. If there's anything more you'd like to hear of a particular event, let me know and I'll try to accommodate :) Please review if you get the chance.**

 **Oh, also... there will be some aspects of faith/religion in this, but it won't be pushy. Just an aspect of this character's life)**


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N Back again… This wasn't precisely what I originally had in mind, but hopefully this will keep boring, lengthy explanations out of future chapters. The one aspect I don't explain will be touched on in other chapters

"verbal dialogue"

" _telepathy_ ")

A few days have passed and whatever I had seen in the backyard is still hovering at the edge of my mind. The images he – and the presence does feel distinctly male – sends are getting clearer, more concise, but I still have a hard time deciphering their meaning beyond basic words and phrases. Drumming my fingers against the keyboard, I stare blankly at my computer screen, scanning the repetitive Science lesson.

" _Lauren_." I jump, glancing around and taking out an earbud to see if there's a follow-up. I freeze. That wasn't the voice of Mom or Megan, my older sister. " _Lauren_ ," the voice repeats, much in the way the images appear in my mind.

"Erm, yes?" I hesitantly half-ask.

An image of a smirking, dark green dragon floats into my mind. " _Drecor_ ," the light, slightly cracking voice says.

"So… your name is Drecor?" I hesitantly whisper, hoping no one comes upstairs. A thumbs-up. "Aaand you're a dragon." Another thumbs-up. Mouth twitching upward, I snort. Like I would be that lucky. A question mark follows. Rolling my eyes, I shake my head and try to turn my attention back to work. The question mark presses for my attention, larger and more bolded. Pausing for a moment, I squint for a moment.

" _Can you hear this?"_ I accent each word in my thoughts, earning a mental wince from the creature - er, Drecor. Another thumbs up. Cocking my head, I ask with slightly less accenting, " _Can you see me?"_

Drecor hesitates before sending a short series of images. Him outside my desk window, him half-way through the window, then him curled up on my bed. Heart racing, I slowly turn to face my bed, noticing a barely-there indentation in the silk comforter. " _Er, could you get off that? I would rather not explain claw marks to my mom_."

Huffing, he carefully glides down to my small, white rug. Now that I know what to look for, I catch the occasional shimmer of an outline softly padding in a circle before curling up again. Suddenly, it hits me. " _How come in my mind I can see you as a green dragon, but in… real life? I can only see a small shimmer of your outline?_ "

Drecor hesitates again, seeming to search for the write words – or rather, images. Drecor as a fully colored dragon, then him focusing, and finally only the faintest shimmer of an outline. " _So… you can camouflage using what, magic?_ " Drecor shrugs, the movement making the shimmer more visible. " _Can you do other things with magic_?" Another shrug, but after a moment, he sends an image of us together, a faint blue line connecting our foreheads. " _So, you're saying this… telepathy. Is the result of magic_?" Drecor nods hesitantly, seemingly unsure. I sigh, wondering what he _does_ know. Drecor chuckles, a surprisingly deep, rumbling sound like rocks grating against one another. " _Can you speak English_?" He looks at me curiously, a question mark forming. I face palm, realizing he probably doesn't know the _names_ of languages. Then again… " _How can you understand me?_ "

Drecor cocks his head, realizing something. He strides towards me, pushing his head towards my hand. Frowning, I flinch back slightly. He stops, and I feel like an idiot! If he wanted to hurt me, he would have done so already. Taking a deep breath, I extend my right hand, brushing his head – at least I think that's what I brushed – with the heel of my hand. Breath hitching, I immediately jerk the hand back, a fiery pain sweeping through my wrist. Drecor looks down slightly guiltily, but sneaks little glances up at me. Biting my lip, I look at the skin, only to find it completely fine. Except… I cock my head, noticing a tiny, swirling design in white where I touched his scales. It looks somewhat like a crescent moon with a dot in the middle and a line of white swirling towards my thumb.

" _Can you understand me now_?" I almost fall off my chair in shock at the smooth, slightly accented English. I nod. " _Good, apologies regarding the burn, but it is necessary to seal the bond._ "

" _So, what was with the images?_ " I ask.

" _It's the common way for dragons to communicate – along with the other senses – but I forgot it can be confusing for humans._ " Drecor snorts softly, lightly chastising himself. " _The bond uniting individual dragons and humanoids breaches that language barrier._ "

I shrug, but freeze again as what he said registers. " _Wait, 'seal the bond?' What bond?_ "

He cocks an eye ridge. " _I thought you knew. The life bond between dragon and rider._ "

I stare blankly at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You okay up there, honey?" Mom calls from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yup! Just watching a video as a brain break." I hear the incredulity in her voice as she retreats, muttering something about socially inappropriate reactions. " _So what, after months of wishing for something like this, when I_ finally _stop asking, you come through a portal and bond with me. Greeeat, this is going to be fun to explain_."

Drecor frowns, growling lightly. " _You are not to tell_ anyone _about us. It would put both of us in far more danger than we are in through our bond._ " I raise an eyebrow, but merely nod. People would probably just think I'm going crazy anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

" _So... Let me get this straight. You want me to extend my mind by pushing outward,_ " I cast a sidelong glance in Drecor's direction. He sighs dramatically and nods mentally. Sheesh, one week together and we're already bringing out only the best traits in each other. Not. Huffing, I try again, trying to focus on pushing out against my skull, a pressure building up like the billion and seventh times before. As the pressure continues to build almost to a migraine level, I'm about to give up when suddenly I sense my mom's thoughts. A swirling mess of connections and ideas and hundreds of tasks all whizzing about. I sense a small cheer from Drecor.

" _Now just withdraw,_ " he says. Erm, so I guess that's... Pulling? Focusing on that, I find withdrawal far easier. Drecor explains, " _When humans are hatchlings, they are far more connected to the world around them. A natural progression of aging is for that connection to retreat. That's why it's easier to withdraw when you finally have managed to reconnect_."

I give a small nod before returning my gaze to the trees and signs blurring past. " _How long till you can fly?_ _And gliding does_ _not count_."

Drecor snorts, resettling in my lap. " _It really depends on the dragon, but it shouldn't be more than a couple weeks, maybe a month. Why?_ "

I mentally shrug. " _Just curious, I guess_."

After several minutes of only the radio making a sound, Drecor sighs and phases out of the car. Startled I have to bite my lip to keep from whipping around. To my surprise, I catch sight of him on the sunroof. What the...

" _More comfortable and More fun_." I suppose that makes sense, but still. The lack of a warm cat-like companion on my lap does leave me slightly chilly. Drecor snorts in disgust, _"I am_ _NOT a cat!_ "

 _"Then.. maybe you should stop acting like one_?"

" _Ha! You'd miss me too much_."

 _"As if!"_ I retort lamely. Growing bored, I try to reach out telepathically again, this time going a little farther than Mom's mind. It's hard with the speed we're at - I'm guessing seventy mph from the shotgun angle - but I catch glimpses of some hard-working, methodical ants or the ocassional hawk on the hunt for a rodent. Suddenly, I feel Drecor delve farther into my mind. Shocked, I instinctively retreat all my connections and push against the intrusive force. A blast of light, a sidestep. Around my flat little concrete slab of a mind we go.

" _When can I make a cool base for my mind_?" I half-whine in distraction. Drecor hesitates a moment, which I immediately trounce upon, slamming a solid... ice cream scoop into his assault.

Drecor bursts into kaughter, earning a death glare across our bond. " _Good instincts, but you'll only be able to use something that... unintimidating once. Besides, the fact it was_ _ice cream would indicate a juvenile status, giving an attacker the advantage_."

I mentally nod. " _I guess I'm hungrier than I though_ t." After dropping some clothes off at the cleaners, Mom and I head to Dairy Queen for a blizzard.

" _I still don't get why they're called that_ ," Drecor grumbles, scowling slightly as we enter.

I chuckle silently, " _I thought that was pretty self-explanatory. They freezing cold like a blizzard, and the ice cream and toppings are whipped/shaken like a blizzard."_

Drecor rolls his eyes but doesn't voice any objections. Just as I get settled with my S'mores blizzard, Drecor slyly grins. " _Wanna try pranking some little hatchlings_?"

I mentally raise an eyebrow but say sure.

(A/N Yeah, mostly fluff, little bit of training. Sorry if you were expecting more on the whole alternate universe thing, but honestly? I'm having a bit of a hard time writing chapters for stories right now. One and Two-shots are easy, but stories like this I have a lot of ideas to choose from but really should keep it condensed And don't worry; the whole white dragon thing in "The Reality of Self-Harm" will be explained around... Let's see, when did I schedule that... Ah yes, a little over 1 yr into their relationship

Also... Constructive criticism and suggestions are always appreciated :) )


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